Mark Rowley has hit back at Rishi Sunak’s criticism of the policing of anti-war protests, dismissing claims officers are failing to enforce the law and saying officers were being labelled “woke and fascist” at the same time.
The Metropolitan police commissioner spoke out on Tuesday after police leaders were last week summoned to Downing Street to discuss their forces’ approach to the marches against the conflict in Gaza.
On Friday, in his speech on extremism in the UK, the prime minister claimed forces were managing rather than policing protests.
Addressing the London policing board, Britain’s top officer said that claims “we are not where the law permits” were inaccurate, and that despite “warm words” of support for police taking robust action, officers felt undermined with some facing death threats. Rowley also said most demonstrators were peaceful.
The Hamas attacks on 7 October 2023 and Israel’s subsequent military action have triggered large protests in London. The government has put pressure on the Met to take tougher action and the relationship between the two institutions on this issue is strained.
The former home secretary Suella Braverman accused the police of two-tier policing, claiming they were tougher on far-right protesters than those marching against the war, with claims the pro-Palestinian marches featured displays of antisemitism.
On Friday, Sunak said: “This week I have met with senior police officers and made clear it is the public’s expectation that they will not merely manage these protests, but police them.
“And I say this to the police, we will back you when you take action.”
In his first comments since the PM’s speech, Rowley said on Tuesday: “We’re always operating in a very challenging political environment where tensions remain high and hate crime is still a long way above pre-October 7 levels.
“Policing is used to being criticised. But where it isn’t justified, I do worry about the impact it has on our officers and staff, and on public confidence as we strive to operate without fear or favour.
“At the moment, one side of the debate seems to say that we are guilty of two-tier policing and the other side says that we are oppressive and clamping down on the right to freedom of speech.
“In this context of polarised public debate, I do think sometimes that we’re the first people who are able to be labelled simultaneously, woke and fascists.”
The Met commissioner continued: “To suggest that we are not where the law permits, as the law allows policing robustly, is inaccurate.
“At each of the major protests where the majority have been peaceful, we’ve seen wrongdoing and we’ve acted.”
He said 360 arrests had been made including for public order and terrorism offences. Of those arrests, 90 were of far-right supporters, with police believing Braverman’s comments immediately before a protest on Remembrance Sunday weekend incited trouble, at least in part.
Rowley added: “We have to police the law as it is, not as others would wish it to be.”
He said the threshold to ban protests was very high. Quoting a previous Met commissioner, Robert Mark, he said police were often criticised as society’s tensions were played out. Rowley said: “It feels like today sometimes we are a bit of an anvil for these issues to be beaten out on.”
He said it was wrong that individual officers were being criticised, citing the case of one of south Asian heritage who had a pro-Palestinian sticker placed on his arm for a short while, which was photographed and then shared on social media as a sign police were biased towards the protesters against Israel’s military actions.
Rowley said: “He got targeted online with various death threats and his family as a consequence of that. These are really insidious and vile acts which are affecting officers’ confidence, not just criticisms of the organisation.
“So despite warm words, officers do not feel supported. And that is degrading their confidence and willingness to act in a whole range of situations. Not only protest.”
Rowley said the protests had cost the Met £30m and he hoped the government would meet some if not all of that cost, with the force saying it meant other crime fighting had suffered.
